Nonskid device for automobile wheels



A. L. FORREST.

NONSKID DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILE WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 192l- Patented Mar. 28, 1922.

2 SHEETS-$HEET I,

gwue'nl' 01 fl lji'real LAJ Trres 33 3 SA S I I (11370: new I WTNESE' A. L. FORREST.

NONSKID. DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILE WHEELS. APiucAnoN FILED JUNE4, 1921.

1A10,906, I Patented Mar. 28, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- .FEQEE...

I ALFRED Low'rHEn scanner, or BALTIMORE, ARY AND.

1\T ONSKID DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILE WHEELS;

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED Low'rHnnFoR- nnsr, a subject of the King of Great Britain,

' residing at Baltimore, in the Stateof Mary- "land, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in N onskid Devices for Automobile Wheels,of which the following is a Another object of my invention is to pro- 1vide a housing for the chains on the wheel that is small and neat in appearance.

the chains carried by the housing to progress or slide around the tire, thus preventing breakage of the chains and wear of the tire in any one place.

Heretofore the anti-skid devices for tires which I have formerly employed used detachablechains carried by housings on the wheel, but therewas no provision made for the sliding of the chains'along the surface of the tire. The disadvantage of this old structure was twofold, First, the chains had a tendency to wear out the surface of the tire in particular places, thus materially shorten ing the life of the tire. Second, the chains themselves were subject to breakage since a sudden jar. or jerk upon the chains, such as occurred in passing over an obstacle had a tendency to place such great strain upon" "thelinksthat they snapped.

My invention comprises an. anti-skid device for tires of. vehicle wheels in which a plurality of chains are adapted to fit over "thetire. Thesechains are carried by slid able housing on one side of the vehicle wheel.

Structure permitting the sliding of the housmg or more properly rotation upon the wheel is provided. On the other-side of the wheel a detachable channel is formed and the chains carried by the housing are stretched across the tire and hooks onthe ends snapped into the detachable channel. Since the hooks may slide within the detachable channel and since the housing itself is slidable and chains may slide when subjected to unusual strains there may be considerable play.

Specification of Letters latent.

invention thereto.

1 In a the drawings tire 1 mounted upon a rim 2 whichis carried .which a helical spring 18 is coiled.

through the shaft 15 I r t ntea Mar. as, 1922.

Application filed. June 4, 1921.. SerialNo. 474,874. i

In the drawings: 7 Flgurel is a side elevation of a half of a vehicle wheel showing the application of my Fig.2 is a. sideelevation of the reverse side of thewheel shown in Fig. 1.

F 1g. 3 1s a detail partly in section showing the operation of the chain within the housing. s Fig. 4 is a detail of a crosssection taken on the lines l4 ofFig. 3. y

i Fig. 5 is a detail showing a cross section of afdrum for withdrawing the chains within the housing.

I have shown a vehicle upon a felly 3 to which are attached spokes p p 4; On one side of the tire Ihave shown a Another ob ect of my invention 1s toallow slidable housing 5 formed of sheet metalbent into a U-shape. -At' the throat of the U the metal is inwardly bentat 6 so that detachable cover plates 7 may be securely fastened thereto through screws 8 which pass through apertures in the cover plates 7 and are screwed into the inwardly bent flanges 6.

The slidable housing 5; is provided with cover plates 7 are formed with small covers 7" adjacent the drums 14 to enable the covering to be readily detached at: those points.

The extremities 16 of theshaft 14: pass through square apertures the slidable "housing 5 and the cover plates 7 and hold the shafts from any possible rotation. The drums. 14 arehformed with an interior shank l7 that iits over the shaft 15 and upon The spring 18 is fastened at one end19 firmly to the drum let and at the other end21 passes I V This construction permits'the drums to be removed at any time to repair them by simply removing-the cover plates 7. By reason of the non-rotatable other end to the druin'la, the drum 14 when from being en shafts 15 and because the helical spring 18 is attached at one end to the shaft 15 and at the 50 catches 28 and passingpthrough suitable drum 14 is afiexible member 22. I have shown the flexible member 22 as comprising a steel'strap'but it tov be understood that 7 it might be a cable or cord.

- them attached at four places in the cir- The strap 22 is fastened. at its other end -tothe stop 12 and passes over a roller 23 journalled on a shaft 24:, which-passes through the slidable housing 5 and the The shaft 2 1 is, adapted: to be attached firmly in place within the slid cover plates 7.

but is not so attached to the able housing 5 This enables the, cover plate cover plates 7.

7 to be removed, without disturbing the.

roller 23. These rollers 23 permit the chains 11 to easily pass to their withdrawn position within the housing 5, which immediately takes place when thejchains 11 are removed from their position around the tire 1 since the spring 18 in the drum 14c is wound tight in the position shown in Fig. 3 with the chains stretched across the tire. Immediately when the chains are 'disein-a gaged from around the'tire the drum 14 draws upon the flexible member 22' and withdraws the chain into the tire.

-The' slidablehousing 5 is provided with an annular guide member 25. Attached-to the spokes 4 at any convenient number of spokes apart (in the drawings I have shown cumference) are fastened support' members 26. These support members are formed. .with upturned lugs 27 which engage annular guide member 25 and allow the the slidable housing 5 to slideor rotate on the wheel. v

Fastened on the other side of the wheel to the support .members 26 are catches 28 pivoted at 28 on the support members 26 which extend upward along the spokes and.

,are provided with outwardly turned lips .29. An annular channel member 31 1s adapted at its exterior to bear against the lips 29. The channel 31 is providedat, its innermost lower end with straps 32 which are adapted to be held against the catches 28 'by firmly in place a means of cotter pins 33, which pass through apertures 1n the straps 32 hold the strap firmly against the.catches 28.

This structure of p voted catches and de tachable channelmember permits the channel member to be removed readily by withdrawing the cotter pin 33 and allows the catches 28 to fall down so that the bolts normally used to hold the tire upon the felly may be tightened or adjusted as required.

The chains 11 are provided with hooks 35 which are adapted to engage'the chan ml 31 and hold the chains 11 over the tires 1. In operation the chains 11 are Withdrawn inercially known as the withdrawn through the apertures!) into the position shown ,in- Fig.3 where the stops 12 prevent the chainsfrom passing entirely out through the apertures 9. In this position the flexible member 22 has been unwoundufrom thedrums 14 as shown in Fig. 3. The hooks 35 are snapped under the channel 31 and the chains are thus .extended across the tire. In case any strain is brought on the chains 11 they may give slightly and slide around the tire since the slidable housing 5 may travel and thehook 35 willslide within the channel 31. @In cactual operation the chains have been found to gradually creep around the tire in-a-n exactly similar manner to the chain com- Weed detachable tire chain. 7

Upon disengaging the hook 35 from the channel 31 the chain iswithdrawnwithin the housing by means of the tension of the springs 18 tending to rewind the drums 14. I have devised a series of quickly and easily detachable tire chains which'may be carried by the wheel and uickly snapped.

into place when required. y my'structure which permits the housing to slide when the chains are subjected to too heavy a strain I have prevented breakage of the chains and likewise wearing of the tires" at any particular place more than at others. It is to be'understood'that the tire. chains do not slip too easily but only when they are subjected to unusual strains which would break the chains were they not to move to a certain extent.

I claim as my invention:

7 1. In an anti-skid devlce, the combination with a vehicle wheel and a tire therefor, of

a plurality of chains adapted to fit over the tire, jmeans permanently fastened to the wheel structure permitting the chains to slide longitudinally of the tire'and means to wind up the chains when off the tire.

2. An anti-skiddevice fortires of vehicle wheels comprising a plurality of chains adapted to fit over the tire, a housing onfone side of thevehicle wheel adapted :to slide thereon but permanently I attached thereto and to which the chains are fastened, a de- 'tachable channel on the other side: of the wheel to which the chains may be fastened, said housing and channel permitting the chains to slide longitudinally of the tire and means to wind up the chains.

3. An anti-skid device for tires of vehicle wheels comprising a plurality of chains adapted to fit over the tire, a housing onone side of; the vehicle wheel adapted to. slide thereon but permanently attached thereto and'to which the chains are fastenedya desnaps 35 are projecting therefrom. By grasping the snaps 35 the chains 11 may be permitted 7 tachable channel on the other side of the wheel to which the chains may be fastened, said channel and housing permitting the chains to slide longitudinally of the tire, support members on the spokes and snaps on the support members to hold the channel in place and means in the housing to draw in the chains when off the tire.

4. An anti-skid device for tires of vehicle wheels comprising a plurality of chains adapted to fit over the tire, a housing on one side of the vehicle wheel adapted to slide thereon but permanently attached thereto and to which the chains are fastened, a detachable channel on the other side of the wheel to which the chains may be fastened, said housing and channel permitting the chains to slide longitudinally of the tire, support members on the spokes, snaps on the support members to hold the channel in place, lugs on the support members, a guide member on the housing cooperating with the lugs to allow the housing to rotate on the wheel and means in the housing to draw in the chains when ofif the tire.

5. An anti-skid device for tires of vehicle wheels comprising a plurality of chains adapted to fit over the tire, support members on the spokes, lugs on the support member, a slidable housing for the chains on one side of the wheel, a guide member on the housing in which the lug on the support member are adapted to fit, a channel on the other side of the wheels to which the ends of the chains may be fastened and snaps on the support members to hold the channel in place.

6. An anti-skid device for tires of vehicle wheels comprising a plurality of chains adapted to fit over the tire, support members on the spokes, lugs on the support member, a slidable housing for the chains on one side of the wheel, a guide member on the housing in which the lug onthe sup port member are adapted to fit, achannel on the other side of the wheels to which the ends of the chains may be fastened and snaps on the support members to hold the channel in place, and spring means within the housing to retain the chains therein when not stretched over the wheel,

7. An anti-skid device for tires of vehicle wheels comprising a plurality of chains adapted to fit over the tire, a housing on one side of the wheel adapted to slide theresaid housing and said means permitting the I chains to slide longitudinally of the tire.

8. An anti-skid device for tires of vehicle wheels comprising a plurality of chains adapted to fit over the tire, a housing on one side of the vehicle wheel adapted to slide thereon but permanently attached thereto, drums in the housing, springs to wind said drums, flexible members adapted to be snapped on the drums and attached to the chains, stops on the chains, hooks on the chains, means on the other side of the wheel to which the hooks on the chains may be fastened, said housing and said means permitting the chains to slide longitudinally of the tire.

9. An anti-skid device for tires of vehicle wheels comprising a plurality of chains adapted to fit over the tire, support members on the spokes, lugs on the support members, a slidable housing for the chains on one side of the wheel, a guide member on the housing in which the lugs on the support member are adapted to fit, a channel on the other side of the wheel to which the ends of the chains may be fastened, snaps on the support member to hold the channel in place, drums in the housing, springs to wind said drums, flexible members adapted to be snapped on the drums and attached to the chains, stops on the chains permitting them to be withdrawn only a predetermined distance and hooks on the ends of the chains by which they may be made to engage with the channel.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. ALFRED LOWTHER FORREST. 

